Step One: Getting Started
Once you have determined what questions you want to answer, you can begin your research. This guide will help you stay organized as you proceed through the task of finding information about your prospective employer.
Keep a separate folder for each company on your list. This can be either a paper folder or an electronic one that you store on your computer. The first page in your folder should include basic information about the company: the location of the company's headquarters and regional offices, its parent company, the names of its subsidiaries. Subsequently you will gather information about the company's products and services and its leadership team. You will obtain financial reports as well. Finally, you will look for current news about the company.
Most industry trade groups and professional associations have Web sites. You can learn a lot about an industry by looking at these sites. If you don't know the name of the association for the industry in which you want to work, look in
You will need access to the Internet to do most of your research. If you don't have a computer or Internet service at home, find out if your local library has computers for public use. If they don't, find a friend who is willing to let you use his computer.
